Agroecology Class at UCSC
by Kelle Carter

Last month I was fortunate to join forty people from eleven different countries to attend a class on "Action Education and Training in Agroecology" at the University of California at Santa Cruz. The class was an intensive short course made up of lectures, field trips, and hands-on applications. Stephen R. Gliessman, professor of Agroecology at UCSC and author of Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, led the class, along with other visiting professors from the US and parts of Latin America. It was an exciting time to congregate with others interested in the field of sustainable agriculture. People came from all over the world to attend—Japan, South Africa, Samoa, India, Mexico, Canada, and Benin. It was interesting to hear their thoughts and ideas, and to perceive how this movement is shifting farmers' ideologies in other parts of the world.

Agroecology is defined as the application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agroecosystems. This encompasses the interactions of individual organisms such as plants, animals and microorganisms within an agricultural system. Natural resources such as soil, water, light, the atmosphere, fire and biotic organisms are also considered as factors that combine to form the environmental complex. The human impact on the ecosystem is an extremely important dynamic to be considered within the agroecosytem, one that was an intense focus of the class.

Throughout the two-week class, we examined case studies of the conversion of conventional farming systems to more sustainable approaches to production. One example of this is the work that Steve Gliessman and other researchers and farmer collaborators have been doing over the past 20 years to create the an organic strawberry market in California. Producing conventional strawberries uses an excessive amount of chemical inputs, creating unhealthy work environments for farm laborers, as well as having lasting harmful effects on the local ecology. One of the biggest pest threats on strawberry growers is the lygus bug. This bug essentially sucks out the juices of the berry, creating a "cat face" effect that makes the berry unmarketable. After years of experimentation, Steve and his team have discovered that planting alfalfa within the rows of strawberries attracts insects that prey on the lygus bug. This technique is essential for the organic berry market, and has also recently been adopted by conventional growers to reduce pesticide usage. Click here to read more information on this important research.

Another focus of the class was how to link agroecology with the ecological and social aspects of community to create local food systems that incorporate and preserve traditional cultures. According to Gliessman, "The impersonal global food system has inexorably diminished the role of food as a cohesive force in the creation and maintenance of communities... Restoring the fundamental role of food as a bonding force for community is beneficial not just for communities, but for the food system as well." We spent one day of the class in the Salinas valley visiting the ALBA farm, witnessing how progress is being made tward linking food with community. ALBA, the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, has created an educational facility where aspiring farmers can learn all the ins and outs of farming. The ALBA farm provides over 100 farmable acres to people who have completed their training course, at a cost much lower than that of local land leases. They also have a market for the produce grown, called ALBA Organics, that provides organic food to local schools and hospitals. This groundbreaking program is reviving the small-farm movement in central California, and making farming a reality for many families. For more information, check out www.albafarmers.org.

Another learning tool for the class was the 25-acre organic farm on the UCSC campus, operated by the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. This farm is dedicated to increasing ecological justice in the food and agriculture system through research, education and public service. The farm provides an educational opportunity for 40 apprentices who live and learn on-site for six months. All the organic produce from the farm feeds UCSC staff and the general public through a CSA and weekly farmers market. The farm has been in operation for 40 years. For information on the apprentice program or farm tours, visit www.casfs.ucsc.edu.

I left Santa Cruz with a greater understanding of how sustainable farming practices such as no-till farming, better soil management, and weed control can be applied to our farm. I also gained an awareness of the theories and practices involved in agroecology, and how these concepts can be incorporated within our research farm. Aside from expanding my experience and knowledge on the subject, I also acquired a new sense of hope and encouragement to continue our work of bringing organic seeds to the market place. Organic sustainable agriculture is an important way to conserve the environment, the health of humans and animals, and preserve our rural communities and cultures. I encourage everyone to work for what you believe in. Every little bit helps to make a big impact.

by Kelle Carter
Farm Field Coordinator

Photo Captions: (1) Class examining the soil (2) Row crops at the UCSC farm (3) Apprentice harvesting for the UCSC farmers market (4) Alfalfa trap crop with strawberry field